Memorial Second World War

A new memorial has been placed in the inner courtyard of the Oudemanhuispoort. This monument bears the names of 254 students and 28 staff members of the University of Amsterdam who died during the Second World War.Most of them were murdered because they were Jewish, active in the resistance, or both. Others died from bombings, suicide, illness or exhaustion. The University of Amsterdam commemorates them with this monument, together with all those whose names remain unknown.

The UvA in the Second World War

In May 1940, Nazi Germany invaded the Netherlands. The occupation lasted five years. The occupiers demanded that all civil servants sign a so-called ‘Aryan declaration’ to confirm that they were not Jewish. This also applied to everyone working at the UvA. Shortly thereafter, all Jewish UvA employees were dismissed. Over the course of the war, various other professors and lecturers were also forced to leave on political grounds. Some were arrested. The board chose not to resist in of the UvA could remain open.

Jewish students, including those at the UvA, faced increasing difficulties. Starting in the 1941-1942 academic year, they had to request permission from the Ministry of Education, Science and Cultural Conservation to enrol. In that same period, mass deportations to concentration camps began from Amsterdam. Many Jewish UvA students did not survive the war. The few Jewish students who managed to escape fled or went into hiding.

Resistance and declaration of loyalty

Several students, including many women, joined the resistance. In doing so, they risked their own lives and those of their family members. In 1943, all remaining students were required to sign a declaration of loyalty in which they pledged allegiance to the occupying forces. Approximately 80% of UvA students refused to do so. This had major consequences, particularly for the male students. Those who did not go into hiding were sent to Germany as forced labour.

UvA closure and secret lectures

In September 1944, the UvA officially closed its doors, but some education continued underground. A shadow university emerged, with secret lectures held in people’s houses. In September 1945, four months after the liberation, the UvA reopened. Nearly three hundred students and staff members had not survived the war.

Redress for dismissed staff

Alongside the unveiling of the new memorial, the UvA is granting redress to staff members who were dismissed during the Second World War on the orders of the German occupying forces. The dismissals during this period were carried out by the Board of the Mayor and the Aldermen of the Municipality of Amsterdam, as the University of Amsterdam was part of the municipal organisation at that time.

Following historical research by the Documentary Information Services (DIV) department, the Executive Board of the UvA decided on 15 September 2026 to formally revoke all of the relevant dismissals. This concerns staff who were dismissed because they were Jewish, as well as staff who lost their jobs as punishment for resistance activities. For professors, lecturers, and private lecturers, the UvA will also amend the dismissal details in the Album Academicum, adding a note that redress has been granted.

About the memorial

The initiative for the new war memorial was taken by a group of students, researchers and alumni. The memorial, which lists the names of the victims known to the UvA, was commissioned by the UvA and designed by Thonik.

Are you a relative of a family member who worked or studied at the UvA during the Second World War and whose name is not included on the memorial? If so, please contact the UvA’s Department of Documentary and Information Services (DIV) at baliediv@uva.nl.

Visit the memorial

The inner courtyard of the UvA’s Oudemanhuispoort is open to the public. You will find the memorial directly on your right.

Oudemanhuispoort Route en address

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